BOOK REVIEW: Archer's Voice

I wanted to lose myself in the small town of Pelion, Maine. To forget everything I had left behind. The sound of rain. The blood. The coldness of a gun against my skin. For six months, each breath has been a reminder that I survived -- and my dad didn't. I'm almost safe again. But the moment I meet Archer Hale, my entire world tilts on its axis . . . and never rights itself again.

Until I trespass into his strange, silent, and isolated world, Archer communicates with no one. Yet in his whiskey-colored eyes, something intangible happens between us. There's so much more to him than just his beauty, his presence, or the ways his hands communicate with me. On me. But this town is mired in secrets and betrayals, and Archer is the explosive center of it all.

So much passion. And so much hurt. But it's only in Archer's silence that we might just find what we need to heal . . . and live.

Spoiler Free:

With a rating of 4.6 on Amazon and a rating of 4.31 on GoodReads. Archer’s Voice has recently been reawakened through it’s TikTok popularity. More and more readers have coveted the piece, releasing content after content about it. Because of this it quickly made its way onto many readers TBR lists- mine included.

After an attack that left her father dead and the imprint on a gun against her chest permanently glued in her mind, Bree Prescott, knows she needs to get away, Away from that night and the sounds of the rain that fell outside and away from the reminder that she survived and her father didn’t. A journey from Ohio to Pelion, Maine is a long one, but she knows she's meant to stay. For what, she’s unsure.

That is until her world collides, literally, with a large burly man in the grocery parking lot. His beard and hair forming a complete coverage around his face leaving only his whiskey-colored eyes peeking through. He leans down helping, but speaks no words before turning and walking away. The silence is addicting and forces Bree onto his property one day, a day she hopes she’ll remember forever.

Having seen the rapid rise in popularity of this piece I knew I would need to get my hands on it soon. But once my sister called me explaining how much she liked it, a reader who strictly likes thriller, suspense, and horror, I quickly picked it up and never set it back down. Having read this in a day and a half, this book definitely kept my attention and appeased my romance itch I have deep down.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault as well as Mature content

Spoilers Full:

Okay we all know this time.

Spoilers are ahead. Read at your own risk.

I’m telling you now.

Okay, don’t be mad at me for ruining something.

Here we go…

Anyone who knows me knows I have a soft spot for classic romance novels. Like growing up, I was obsessed with Nicholas Sparks books. That type of cliché romance books. And there really isn’t anything wrong with that. A book is a book at the end of the day, and one that puts a smile on my face and tears in my eyes was one I’d want to read. Archer’s Voice was exactly that type of book. A sweet one at that. It is a classic, boarder-line cliché romance novel. The only change that this piece brought to the table that I thoroughly enjoyed was the fact that Archer can’t speak, instead they use sign-language as a means of communication. Because of this it also demonstrated the lack of people within society willing to learn or extend a hand to someone in a similar situation. That aspect I really like reading and experiencing.

Now to touch on the things that weren’t so my favorite. The books seemed predictable… sadly. Like I said before as a book that falls into the cliché romance genre, that genre also has a loose rule book and this piece definitely followed it closely. From wording, to everyday actions and even up to when Archer leaves for three months. I verbally said aloud, of course he left, he’s scared shitless. But then again she waits for him, continuing to work at the dinner, not trying to figure out a future that she wants to pursue. I’m not even sure there was any moment in which Bree herself reflected on the fact of, “Can I work at the dinner forever” idea. But nonetheless, this is a novel in which real life worries didn’t seem to come into play much. That is especially when Archer is now miraculously inheriting THE WHOLE TOWN. Again, I knew this was coming. It is the classic bad people thinking they are the ones in power and wanting to come destroy all the good that inhabits the small town feel and instead put in cold and modern condos. And knowing that the bad people was “technically” his stepmom (if you know, you know) and younger half-brother it all just aligned too perfectly. I was really only waiting for him to get his voice back and when he didn’t I all about thanked the book gods for not letting that happen, because we need more books that don’t “correct” or “heal” disabilities.

The writing seemed to have some grammatical issues that caught me up a few times. I also want to make a note that the storyline surrounding Bree’s attack and her father’s death was very anti-climatic and took a back seat majority of the time. Even with the repercussions of it, we only see that in the beginning and then it becomes hyper focused on Archer’s needs. From driving to Ohio with her friends, to identifying a man and quickly coming back, to thinking something happened to her having dropped her phone in a puddle. Those few chapters were really disappointing and teasing to read. Even more so, I have to say I very much did not like the texting conversations between Archer and Bree. Some seemed realistic to their characters, but majority felt like two teenagers who were locked inside their parent's houses unable to see each other. Then in the last chapters the man being led to Bree through Tori felt like an afterthought, like a loose end needing to be tied up. It definitely raised a reaction in me when I thought Archer dies, but again we as the reader are ran through Bree’s trauma that she brought to the table.

All in all, I did enjoy this piece and did get the warm fuzzies from some parts between Archer and Bree. And of course, I have a soft spot for a small-town setting and people. I would definitely recommend this book to someone looking for a mindless, easy, romantic read.

Mia Sheridan

Mia Sheridan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. Her passion is weaving true love stories about people destined to be together. Mia currently has written 33 pieces. Mia lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband. They have four children here on earth and one in heaven.